Lucifer's Bride
by Synystersdream1
Summary: Season 8. Sam is plagued by dreams of a girl he cant remember from the time he was Lucifer's vessel. Kevin translates a trial that demands the rescue of "Lucifer's bride" who is she and what happened to her after Lucifer was put back in his cage? Mythology, prophecy and an extra trial.
1. Chapter 1

**Lucifer's Bride**

_**Disclaimer; I don't own anything to do with Supernatural. I'm just playing around with a storyline from my noggin.**_

**Chapter 1; New Home**

The sky darkened and rain clouds rolled in overhead as Seph climbed into the social workers car. After slamming the door she reached to the radio,turning the volume up and adjusted the seat more to her liking. This was more than likely going to be a long drive and if so then she would not be enduring it uncomfortably.

James and Sarah, the couple who had been in charge of her welfare for the past six months didn't bother to come out to say goodbye. If it hadn't been for the fact that Emily was picking her up she doubted if they would have even been at home.

Sarah liked to drink and James liked someone else. It was a real chicken or the egg situation that Seph was happy to leave behind.

The stressed looking blonde social worker got into the car and they took their leave. Emily turned down the radio with her chewed up nails and tried to make conversation for the first few miles but eventually gave up. She had nothing to say that Seph wanted to hear. It was beginning to become a depressing tradition, sitting in that stupid old car with Emily trying to chat her ear off as they drove to a new town, new school, new family.

A big fat raindrop hit the windscreen, swiftly followed by another. Seph watched them travel down the glass and sighed. she hoped this wasn't an omen.

For as long as she could remember, bad luck had plagued her. There was once a time when she had put so much effort into fitting in at one foster home or another. Those days were long gone. It didn't matter how polite she could be, how tidy and well behaved. Nobody kept her for more than a year. Emily would arrive, looking harassed and she'd be off to the next home.

She had been given no explanation as to what happened to her parents. When she was younger Seph daydreamed about who they were, what they looked like, and why they had had to leave her outside a hospital as a newborn. Nobody gave her any real answers so she imagined that she had gotten her blonde hair from her mother and her green eyes from her father. In her mind her father was tall and kind, her mother beautiful and warm. She didn't think like that any more. as they years went by her bitterness grew and she knew that she was never going to get adopted, nobody wanted a bitter sixteen year old, and she would just have to wait till she turned eighteen to get out of the system.

Emily turned down a small country road after passing through a small, deserted looking town and Seph began to pay attention to their surroundings. There were nothing but fields on either side of the lane for miles. The road twisted and turned for what felt like hours until they suddenly came upon a large set of ornate gates.

"This is it" Emily said, her voice sounding scratchy after hours of silence. Seph sat up, trying to get a better look. The gates glided open to reveal a long sloping driveway with large oak trees to either side. They drove on until the large two story came into view. Red ivy covered the front wall, the same shade as the front door, which stood open.

A couple walked out and stood waiting for them, smiling. Seph looked them over as she removed her seatbelt and opened the car door. Emily made her way over to them. The woman was taller than her husband, with white blonde hair scraped back into a high pony tail. She wore a tailored trouser suit and expensive looking jewellery. The man wore a dark suit and as she approached she saw the glint of a gold watch on his wrist. They looked to be in their forties.

"Welcome, welcome!" the woman intoned, a too-white smile lighting up her face. The man went to the car and took out her bag. She wanted to grab it off him but held back. She didn't have much to call her own and didn't like people touching her things.

"I'm Seph" She introduced herself immediately before the smiling woman could call her by her full name. She hated her name, the only thing her parents had ever given her. The woman smiled again as if that amused her. "Welcome." she said. "I'm Hilda Carter and this is my husband Benjamin. We've so been looking forward to your arrival."

Seph did her best to smile in return but it faltered as she took another look at Benjamin. She could have sworn that when he looked over at the sound of his name his eyes went a little...strange. Had they been black for a second? She shook that odd thought away and followed the three adults into the house.

An hour later Emily was gone, looking proud of herself and Seph was being shown around her new home.

"And this is your room" Hilda announced, opening the door to a pink nightmare. The walls were fuchsia, the bedclothes and curtains matched. She did her best to suppress a shudder. At least she had her own bathroom. Hilda left with another blinding smile and a reminder that dinner was at seven.

Seph unpacked her small bag of belongings and took another look around. Her wardrobe was stocked with clothes that were definitely not to her taste. Everything was very girly and mostly pink. She shoved in her own worn jeans and hoodies where she could find room and closed the closet swiftly. There was a set of shelves over a desk beside the large window that was full of books. She liked to read and so perused the titles. One look made her sigh in dismay.

"There had to be a catch" She whispered to herself. The books were all religious in nature. She did smile a little as she looked in the drawers in the desk and found a laptop. She had never had one before.

That little excitement was doused after she turned it on and discovered that aside from educational websites, everything else was blocked. shoving it back in the drawer she lay on the bed for a while before finally giving in to the urge to walk around outside. Sometimes she found that being out of doors was the only thing that calmed her. She liked nothing better than to sit under a tree in the springtime and read or wander about breathing in fresh air. Being inside for a long stretch of time made her itch. she wasn't sure whether it was some form of claustrophobia or what. it wasnt as if she was a hippie or anything. She liked a greasy meal and hours infront of the television as much as the next girl but there was something about the freedom of the outdoors that made her feel, well...free.

dinner was an awkward affair. Hilda was full of questions and Benjamin stayed silent, though he seemed to be listening to her answers intently. At least the food was good. After dessert she bid them goodnight and went back to her room. She felt two pairs of eyes on her back the whole time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Lucifer's Bride**

_**Disclaimer; Same as Previous**_

**Chapter 2; Settling**

Time passed very slowly for Seph in the Carter household. It hadn't taken her very long to hate her new foster parents. There was something very wrong with Benjamin and Hilda, though nothing she told Emily on the phone was a good enough reason to leave. At least that was when she was allowed to have a phone.

The day after her arrival she was handed a list of rules she had to follow stringently.

1\. no phone

2\. no internet except for educational purposes

3\. curfew at five

4\. no school trips

5\. no friends at the house

6\. no visiting friends at their house

7\. no boys

8\. homework to be done by seven

9\. dinner at seven

10\. bible study from eight to nine

11\. lights out at ten

She began attending school on the first Monday after her arrival. It was torturous. Term had already begun so her arrival was big news. Eyes followed wherever she went and to top it all off it was a catholic high school for "young women" So the no boys rule was unnecessary.

Needless to say Seph was soon becoming a straight A student. The sacrifices of her phone and internet access far outweighed this of course and it wasn't as though she had made any friends anyway or as if she had anyone to call.

She had never found it easy to make friends. what was the point anyway when she never stayed in a place for a full school year? Students there had known each other all their lives and so clicks were already long-established. The restrictions of her curfew meant that even if she had any interest in joining one of the many clubs or sports teams she wouldn't have been able to stay after school for meetings or training and her lack of social skills did the rest of the work. there was one girl, Mandy, who showed her around on her first day and sat beside her at lunch. Something about her made Seph keep her distance when she could though. She just couldn't put her finger on what it was though.

perhaps it was the way she sat a little too still, or how her eyes seemed to turn black in a certain light. she reminded her a little of Benjamin in that regard and that could be reason enough.

Hilda insisted on a run down of her day every evening at dinner. Benjamin remained quiet as usual. she began to wonder if he could speak. she was feeling more and more like a hostage every day.

The dreams began not long after she arrived at the red house. It had been a long time since she had tried to imagine what her parents looked like but she was sure somehow that the woman who visited her in her in her sleep was her mother.

For the first few nights Seph couldn't understand what her mother was trying to tell her. She could only stare at the beautiful woman in awe. Her voice sounded so far away. On the tenth night that changed.

"You have to leave. it is not safe for you here. Find a phone and call this number. He's expecting to hear from you" She called out a cell phone number and walked away from her then. Seph could only watch as she left, feeling lonelier than ever.

when she woke, she was surprised to have remembered every digit. All that day in school she fought with herself on whether she would call it or not. Figuring she wasn't going to get any peace until she did she decided to give it a try. What was the worst that could happen?

She laughed at herself as she stood at the payphone at lunch time. It was just a dream. Why would she ever think it was a real number?

she dialled regardless and was surprised when a gruff voice answered.

"Where are you" The mystery man asked. she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, this must be a wrong number... I'm not sure why I called..." whatever lame excuse she was about to give was interrupted as he cut her off.

"Where are you?" He repeated, more demanding.

She paused before answering. who was this man? What in holy hell was going on.

"This was a mistake, I'm sorry for..." he cut her off again.

"Listen to me, this is very important. You're in danger. I need to know where you are and Ill come and get you."

Before she could stop herself she told him.

"I can be there by tomorrow." He gave her an address and told her when to be there.

Before he could hang up on her she finally got a word in.

"who the hell are you?" she asked, surprised by the strength of her own voice.

" John Winchester." he replied and hung up.

Seph did her best not to give anything away that evening at dinner. Hilda asked her about her day as usual and she gave her the run down of her classes. She didn't sleep till very late that night. She packed a few things into her school bag and wondered for hours about the man who called himself John Winchester. she didn't dream.

The next day she slipped away during lunch, doing her best to be sneaky. unfortunately, one person noticed. Mandy followed her out to the gate.

"Where are you going?" She asked, disapproval in her voice.

"I'm leaving, clearly. You didn't see me, right?" Mandy shrugged after a moments thought and went back towards the lunch hall. Seph wasnt sure, but she thought she spotted the glint of a cell phone in the other girls hand. she laughed at herself. Who would Mandy alert that wasnt supervising lunch?

She walked to the agreed meeting place, a deserted stretch of road not too far from her school. If she were caught there would be hell to pay but she couldn't care about that. she had to leave this place.

She dumped her bag on the side of the road and sat on in, waiting nervously.

She didn't have to wait long. After a few minutes she heard the rumble of a car and looked up. Sure enough the blue sedan stopped a few feet from her and a man got out. He looked as though he had been dragged through a ditch backwards, with untidy hair and a five o' clock shadow.

"John?" She asked and he nodded as he approached.

"I'm so sorry." he said, as he reached behind him and pulled out a large knife.

At first she was too shocked to move, but as he approached she un-froze and turned to run. She knew it was too little too late. There was nobody around and he would catch her before she got very far, but she had to try.

She could hear him behind her as she ran blindly around a bend in the road. She screamed as she bumped into something, or someone to be precise, falling on her ass in the middle of the road. _This is it_, she thought. _He isn't alone and their going to kill me_. She was pulled none to gently off the road and shoved back into another persons arms. _oh great, there are three of them_. Finally opening her eyes she discovered that the person now shoving her towards a nearby truck was Hilda. Benjamin, who she had blindly bumped into, was standing where she had fallen, and was facing her attacker.

"Go!" he shouted to his wife. She didn't reply, instead she pushed Seph into the back of the car before getting into the driver seat and turning the key. Seph screamed again as Hilda drove towards John Winchester. He jumped out-of-the-way as Benjamin climbed into the passenger seat. They sped off, ramming the car off the road as they passed it. Looking out the back window, Seph watched her would be killer pick himself up off the ground and brush dirt off his plaid shirt.

Hey readers! Hope you like the story so far. don't worry Sammy will be there soon enough. As stated before this fic mostly takes place in the eighth season. The first few chapters are a sort of prequel I suppose and the timing is going to be a bit off in places. I apologise in advance for that and for the filler in the beginning but soon itll be Sam's POV and it'll (hopefully) get a bit more interesting

stick with it

Aoife :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Lucifer's Bride**

**_Disclaimer; same as previous_**

**Chapter 3; House arrest**

Seph wasn't allowed to ask about what had happened, and she never got an explanation. Nor had she since had another dream about the woman she had thought was her mother. It didn't stop her wondering though. The whole thing was just too weird. How had it all even happened? the number? who was John Winchester? and why did he want to kill her? How had Hilda and Benjamin known where she was? And why wouldn't they explain what had happened?

They never returned to the red house, driving on instead for what seemed like days, stopping only to eat and for bathroom breaks.

When they finally did stop, it was outside a house even more isolated than the last. This time Hilda insisted upon home schooling her. She wondered if Emily knew or cared that she had just disappeared.

Her days passed slowly and her seventeenth birthday went by without much ado. Hilda did make a special birthday dinner however and she was given the gift of a charm bracelet. It was heavy even though it only had one charm; a pomegranate cut in half. She didn't particularly like it, but wore it out of politeness.

Seph had a home-made calendar under her pillow. When her eighteenth birthday finally came, she joyously packed her bags and walked out of the house, determined to get away. She didn't get very far.

"where do you think you're going." she turned in the lane, surprised that it was Benjamin who had followed her out. He never spoke to her.

"I'm eighteen now. You can't stop me." She replied shortly before turning on her heel and continuing to walk. She stopped in her tracks when he appeared before her. How was that even possible.

"You're wrong there dear. This is where you belong. This is the only place you are safe."

any further protests she might have had were cut short when Benjamin grabbed her and carried her back into the house in a fire-mans lift. she did however manage to curse at him profusely and with great vigour while getting as many blows in to wherever she could reach. he didn't even bat his black eyes.

upon reaching her new bedroom, she was dropped onto the bend unceremoniously and he left, locking the door behind him. in her fury she trashed the place before desperately trying to break down the door, when she was near exhaustion and her shoulder and feet hurt like hell she turned to the window, finding it locked also she did everything she could think of to smash it. Nothing worked. the chair she hurled at it multiple times lay in pieces along with everything else that was breakable, but the window must have been bullet proof to have taken such a beating without so much as a crack.

angry tears welled up in her eyes and she lay on the ripped up bed covers, curled in a ball and cried until there was nothing left except a thumping headache and raw eyes. She soon fell into a fitful sleep.

Needless to say, Seph was no longer required to go down for dinner or attend her home-schooling. Hilda tried at first, but her complete lack of response finally got to the vile woman and she gave up. It was clear in her eyes, which turned black when she was angry, that she was close to violence sometimes, but something held her back. When Seph refused to eat in protest to being held against her will, however, she was not gentle as she force-fed her.

for years after she had given up on the idea of adoption she had wanted nothing more than to have the freedom of going her own way and doing what she wanted after leaving the system. now she had nothing to look forward to and no way of escape.

sometimes she wondered if the man who had tried to kill her, whatever his problem was, was the good guy. if only she could have gotten answers from her would be assassin. Perhaps she should have just let him kill her.

As her nineteenth birthday approached she began to have strange dreams again. She was in a room lit only by the flames that licked the walls, coming closer, about to burn her. She could feel the heat of them as they walled her in until she was curled in a ball on the floor and her skin began to melt away.

Then, a bright green light chased away the flames and a woman appeared. It was the same woman who she had thought was her mother, and that notion came to her again as she saw her. Her eyes, so like Sephs own, were bright green and she had the same golden hair. She wondered absently if she looked anything like her father, whoever he was. Then the woman spoke.

"Say no. Don't ever give in."

"Give in to what? Why should i listen to you again?" She almost shouted, every night it was the same.

"To Him. Never say yes." The woman who looked so much like her was crying.

"The last time i listened to you i almost died. Is that what you want?"

"Never" her mother replied "Though it would be simpler." Well that was comforting. "I thought he might hide you. Protect you from them. From Him. That is why I told him you would call. I was wrong."

" Who was he? Why do people want me dead?"

"A hunter of the things that threaten human life. Evil things"

"Do I...I'm not evil...Am I?"

The beautiful woman shook her head once.

"Why am I a threat?"

She shook her head again before repeating herself. "Say no"

Sorry that was so bad. I'll do better next time.

Aoife :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Lucifer's Bride**

_**Disclaimer; same as previous**_

**Chapter four; Him**

Seph woke with a start. she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. After splashing her face with cold water she stared at her reflection. Bright green eyes looked back at her. Her golden had grown to her waist and was in serious need of a good brushing, but she didn't care any more.

Her skin was pasty from being locked up for so long and she was thin from refusing to eat so many times. There were bruises on her upper arms from the force feeding. The charm bracelet on her wrist felt loose and heavy.

Glaring down at it she tried to rip it off but it wouldn't budge. Giving up she looked at her reflection once more. Was she beautiful like her mother? She had never thought about it much before, no one had ever told her she was pretty, apart from one foster-father. Emily had shown up half an hour after she had called her that time, though her office was hours away. She wondered what Emily would do this time if she could just manage to get to a phone.

She supposed that she could be pretty, with some meat on her bones and if she were less pale. she was sure she would go mad if she didn't get out and breathe some fresh air soon. sometimes she dreamed about standing out in the sunshine, feeling the grass beneath her bare feet, smelling flowers (yes it was that bad)

She moved away from the mirror, deciding that a hot shower and a change of clothes were long overdue.

Afterwards as she was sitting at her desk, absent mindedly scribbling on the wood there was a knock on her door. she didn't bother to even look up, knowing who it would be.

Hilda opened the door without an invitation as usual and left the tray of food she was carrying on the bed. She then opened Sephs wardrobe and rooted around for a while.

"Tomorrow is a very important day" she almost sang.

"The anniversary of my official imprisonment?" Sarcasm and bitterness oozed from her every pore.

Hilda gave her a look but continued.

"You must look your best." She placed the outfit she had chosen across a chair and stood back to look at it. It was a white, calf length dress with a frilly pink fringe. what was this woman's obsession with that colour? On the floor beneath the chair she placed a matching pair of shoes. She then crossed the room to where Seph sat and picked up a hair brush. She hummed to herself as she ran it through Sephs hair.

She desperately wanted to pull away but knew Hilda's vice like grip on her shoulder couldn't be fought against.

When the mega-bitch had won her wrestling match with her knotty hair she walked back to the door before turning back to where Seph now stood watching her leave and wishing her vile vanilla perfume would leave with her.

She stroked Sephs face.

"I know we've been hard on you dear, but it's for your own good, you must realise that by now." Seph shook her head defiantly.

"So pretty, so ignorant. If only you could understand how important you are. We will be rewarded for our loyalty. For finding you and keeping you safe"

There was a mad glint in her eyes. Seph took a step back.

"Safe from what? Whatever cult you're a part of, I want nothing to do with it." She spat at her captor.

"Oh but my dear insipid girl, you have everything to do with it. You'll understand tomorrow."

She left finally and Seph listened to the key being turned in the lock before letting out a breath she hadn't realised shed been holding.

_never give in. He's coming for you._

Her mothers words echoed in her mind and she was suddenly determined to follow that advice, even after what had happened the last time she had done so. Who was she talking about though? Was it the man who had tried to kill her? Let him come. If this was all that life had to offer her then she was done with it.

She drifted into an uneasy sleep then and her dreams were different from the last couple of weeks. Now they were full on nightmares.

She wished she had been sneakier on her eighteenth birthday, wished with all her might that she had somehow escaped from Hilda and Benjamin before they had moved to Detroit.

Seph woke early the next day with a knot in her stomach. Slowly, she got out of bed and changed into the white and pink dress. It fell to her calves and had elbow length sleeves. It was loose on her thin frame. The shoes fit though. She sat back on the bed and waited for whatever was about to happen, her mothers words still ringing in her head.

Hilda entered her room about an hour later.

"Good your dressed." She said as a form of greeting. She ushered her over to her desk and brushed her hair again. Seph sat there numbly. This time when Hilda left she didn't lock the door. Seph didn't follow at first, instead she waited a few minutes, took off her shoes and crept down the stairs.

She could hear the Carters chatting excitedly in the living room.

Her bare feet made no noise on the tiled floor and she found the back door unlocked. She pulled it open and ran for it.

The fresh air hit her like a welcome embrace and she felt as though the wind spirited her faster than she could possibly run in her state. When she reached the grass she had to stop herself from crying out in pleasure at the feel of it beneath her feet. She didn't realise that where she stepped the green carpet beneath her grew half an inch and brightened in colour, or that the flowers she passed bloomed brighter and more beautifully than they ever had before.

She finally reached the safety of the trees that grew thicker the further she got from the house, becoming a small forest. She thought she would be safe there. Again she didn't realize that the tall trees she walked under swayed as she passed them and the canopy above her became less dense, shedding light to lead her way, or that the charm on her bracelet pulsed a little, the red seeds shining ominously in the green tinged sunlight.

Her elation ended quickly when she spotted the man leaning against one of the trees ahead. he was staring at her with a mixture of amusement and something else she couldn't put her finger on. She stopped. The breeze died down and the trees stopped swaying. Everything was suddenly too still and silent, apart from her thumping heart.

She stared back at him, taking him in.

The stranger before her was very tall. She wondered idly how he found clothes to fit him. Beneath his green t-shirt she could make out his muscular chest. She looked at his face. He was very handsome, perhaps in his mid to late twenties, with dark brown hair tucked behind his ears and brown eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "You look a little lost."

"You have to help me" she pleaded. "I need to get away from here. Those people..." She pointed back towards the house, now hidden from view. "They're crazy. I need to get out of here."

He stood up straight then and walked towards her. He was even taller than she had first thought.

"Don't worry Persephone" he said, his voice soothing. "I took care of them already"

Immediately she knew that she should have just kept on running. This was the person the Carters had been waiting for. She cringed away from him as he held his hand out to her.

"There is no need to fret. I will never hurt you, nor will i lie to you. I promise. I have waited to meet you for a very, very long time."

She knew there was no point in screaming. There was nobody around for miles. She also know that if she ran he would catch her in seconds. She tried both anyway. It didn't get her very far. She hadn't even ran two feet away when he appeared in front of her again.

"Come with me and you will never have to fear them again."

She tried to snort sarcastically, but it came out as a whimper.

"I'll show you" he said, looking down at her once more with that look in his eyes. She realised then that it was reverence.

_Never give in _

Before she could protest he took her hand in his. She barely had time to notice how cold his hand was before she was back in the house she had just escaped from. They were in the living room. He stood beside her, still holding her hand. She pulled away and realised something was different about the room. The walls should have been cream in colour, not red...

Then she really looked. It wasn't paint that coated the walls, floor and ceiling. It was blood and, to her terror, chunks of gore, all that remained of her foster parents.

"They wanted to be rewarded for their service." She barely heard him as she fought to keep down the little she had eaten the night before. She soon lost the fight, but he kept talking, absently stroking her back as she retched.

"I think this a fitting reward for the job, don't you? They were lucky it was quick. When I told them to find you and care for you I expected more."

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and began to back away uselessly towards the door.

"I said happy and healthy, not miserable and frail." he took her left arm and pulled up her sleeve, looking at the bruises that marked her skin. "I only want the best for you Persephone. I will treat you like the goddess you are. Nobody will ever hurt you again."

She wanted to be sick again but there was nothing left. She really wished she had shoes on as she stared at the blood beneath her feet.

"Are you a hunter?" She asked, forgetting what her mother had said about them, remembering only that one of them had come after her before.

"No my love." He replied, amusement in his gaze again. She felt her consciousness slipping away as she craned her neck to meet his eyes. Black spots danced in front of her, obscuring her sight.

"I am Lucifer"

The black spots joined until she could see no more and her consciousness slipped away. Her last memory was of falling towards the floor and being caught in a freezing embrace. Then nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Lucifer's Bride**

_**Disclaimer; same as previous**_

**Chapter 5; Dreams**

**Sams POV**

Sam woke like a drowning man breaking the surface of the ocean. He sat up in his bed with his head in his hands, desperately trying to catch his breath. Finally when the panic faded he pushed his sweaty hair out of his eyes and got out of bed. As he made his way to the bathroom he left a trail of sweat stained clothes behind him.

The blazing hot water of the shower helped and soon he was able to think clearly again. The nightmare had seemed so real. It had been a long time since Lucifer had haunted his dreams, but those days were never too far from his thoughts. There was something different about that dream though. Now that he was more calm he went through the whole thing in his mind.

_He had watched the whole thing while trapped inside his own head. Lucifer was driving. It was just after he had watched the devil slaughter the room full of demons- the people of his past who had spied on him all through his childhood and adolescence. He was horrified by the part of him that felt elated by the power running through him. _

_Lucifer took him to a house he didn't recognize. He watched, curious as the pair of demons bowed and one left to fetch someone. He wondered at the excitement Lucifer felt while waiting for whoever was about to enter the room. _

_When the demon/woman returned she looked sheepish. _

_"Shes gone." She whispered in terror, filled with rage he clicked his fingers and she exploded, blood and bone soaked the room. The other one was quick with his excuses. _

_"She wont have gone far. We have a tracker on her." He stuttered, the words coming out of his worthless mouth too fast. He took what looked like a cell phone from his pocket and pressed a button on the screen. "The woods out the back." He announced in a weak voice. _

_"She isnt content here." it wasnt a question but the maggot tried to answer, to lie. Lucifer clicked his fingers once more and disapeared. he waited for her in the woods, hearing her movements long before he saw her._

_Sam looked at the young woman through eyes that were no longer under his control. She was pretty, but he knew that one day, perhaps with a few good meals and some sun, she would be beautiful. She had bright green eyes framed by thick lashes, like emeralds that shone out against the pale flawlessness of her skin. Her hair fell almost to her waist in warm golden waves. She glided towards him upon the wind and he could smell wildflowers on the air. When she stopped it seemed as though everything else stopped with her. Nature seemed to move as she did. It was fascinating. She stared at him, looking him up and down with distrust. He saw the misery in her emerald eyes as she realised he was not her saviour, but something much worse than what she had just escaped from. He felt an overpowering need to protect her, but there was nothing he could do, trapped as he was in his own mind_

_"what was she, a mere human, to the devil? what did he want with her and why did he look at her with as much awe in his gaze as Sam felt towards her in that moment?_

_Sam finally connected the dots. her name...that was the clue. Persephone._

_He had never really taken much of an interest in Greek mythology, but had done plenty of research on the old gods. Some still roamed around, half starved from lack of worship. He and Dean had faced a few in their time, some quite recently._

_He had come across the story of Persephone years ago. What would the queen of the underworld be doing in Detroit though? And why would she look so frail, so...human._

_Lucifer brought her back to the house. Sam didnt want her to see the horror show within, but the devil seemed to think he was showing her proof of his...devotion? was that it?_

_He tried to remember the whole story, even as the girl fainted and Lucifer swooped her up, surprisingly gently, in his arms._

_What he could remember went like this;_

The goddess Persephone,was an innocent maiden, a virgin who loved to play in the fields where eternal springtime reigned. She was the only daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of grain, agriculture and fertility.

Hades, god of the underworld, had other plans for her. He watched her from his kingdom and fell in love with her. He made a plan to steal her innocence and make her his bride.

His brother Zeus consented to the marriage but warned him that Demeter would never approve. At his brothers instruction, he abducted and deflowered her while she was out picking flowers. Though she called out to her companions and her mother, no one heard her pleas. The earth opened up before them and she was spirited away to the underworld.

Demeter soon arrived to collect her daughter but couldn't find a trace of Persephone. Distraught and desperate she searched high and low, traveling to the far corners of the earth, searching for nine days and nights. She was furious and threatened to make the earth barren forever and thus destroy all of mankind if she did not find her beloved daughter.

On the tenth day she went to Helios, god of the sun, for he saw all that moved upon the earth. He told her what had happened and tried to persuade her that Hades, being Zeus's brother, was not an unfit husband for Persephone. She refused to accept this, enraged by Zeus's complicity and refused to return to mt. Olympus, instead roaming the earth forbidding the trees to bear fruit and the earth to nurture vegetables and herbs.

After a year of famine, Zeus realized that if the humans starved there would be no one to worship him. He begged Demeter to restore fertility to the earth. She refused unless her daughter was returned to her. He relented and sent the messenger, Hermes to fetch his daughter.

In all this time Persephone, in her depression, refused to eat or drink. When Hermes arrived Hades agreed to let her go but urged her to appease her terrible hunger first. In her impatience to leave she ate a single pomegranate seed. It was a trick. Anyone who tastes the food of Hades must remain in the underworld.

Knowing that Demeter would stick to her promise of starving humankind, Rhea, mother of Zeus, Demeter and Hades proposed a compromise that her children reluctantly accepted. since she had eaten there, Persephone would spend six months in the underworld as queen of the damned and the rest of the year with her mother.

After their agreement to the deal, Persephone returned to Olympus with Demeter and the earths fertility was restored. When Persephone returned to the underworld the earth became colder and less fertile in her absence.

_If he had been confused before, it was nothing to how he had felt after remembering the old myth, dread filled his stomach though because there was no way that Lucifer would have anything to do with this human, if she was human that is, unless there was more to it than just the same name._

_After she fainted and was held closely to his chest they left in the blink of an eye and reappeared in a different room. There was a large ornate bed against the far wall. Lucifer pulled back the covers, cradling the girl with one arm and placed her down gently before tucking her in. The walls were painted in bright colours and there were vases of flowers on every surface. There were no windows._

_He didn't know where they were but instinct told him they were no longer in Detroit._

_Lucifer walked to a mirror above a chest of drawers and spoke to him._

_"I suppose you have questions Sammy. I told you i would never lie to you."_

_"You told her that as well. Who is she?"_

_"Jealous?" Lucifer smiled. " You must have guessed by now. Every schoolchild knows the story of Persephone. One version or another"_

_"Which version is this?"_

_" My version. Same story, different villain, although i don't think i will allow any visits from Demeter." He seemed to be speaking more to himself now. " Oh how she tried to prevent this. If dear John had been quicker with his knife...Oh well"_

_He made eye contact with the reflection in the mirror once more._

_" I'm sorry if your feelings are hurt but its going to be three in a bed from now on"_

Sam stepped out of the shower. The water had turned cold by this point. He dried himself off with a towel and wrapped it around his waist before the bathroom. He nearly dropped it in fright when he realized he was no longer alone.

Dean sat on his bed with a thundery expression.

"You're lucky i didn't drag you out of there" He said menacingly.

"What happened?" Sam asked, securing the towel around him more tightly.

" You took all the freaking hot water is what happened!" Dean almost shouted. He threw a pillow at Sams head and stood up.

"Get dressed. Kevin thinks he might be close to a translation. And no more cheese before bed." He began to walk toward the door.

"What?" Sam called after him.

"I don't know what kind of squirlly dream you were having last night but you were squeeling like a little bitch."

Sam threw the pillow back at him but was too late. His brother shut the door behind him.

"Dick" he muttered, but grabbed some clean clothes and followed a few minutes later, the dream slipping from his mind as he contemplated his next trial.


	6. Chapter 6

**Lucifer's Bride**

_**Disclaimer; Same as previous**_

**Chapter 6; Trial**

A few minutes later Sam sat across from his brother. Kevin was at the head of the large table, the demon tablet in front of him and pages of scribbles surrounding him. He looked frustrated.

"What is it Tran?" Asked Dean, sounding tense. "Spit it out."

"Okay, i think I have it." He pushed his hair back off his face. "It just...doesn't make any sense to me."

"What do you mean?" Sam leaned in closer to the young prophet. Sometimes he thought they lost sight of just how young this guy was. It was sad that he had faced so much in his short life.

"Well...If I have it right it says...It talks about rescuing Lucifer's bride." The last bit came out in a rush. Dean cleared his throat and looked as though he was about to laugh.

"Well I for one did not realise the Devil got hitched. Our invitation must have got lost in the mail. How about you have another cup of coffee and stop reading the romance novels Kev." He stood up and was about to leave the room when Sam spoke up.

"I think he has it right Dean." His voice came out smaller than he was going for and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off a scratch on the table as he felt the other two men's eyes on him.

Dean was about to make another scathing remark so he continued.

"I've had Dreams about Lucifer lately...only now I don't think they're dreams any more. I think they might be memories."

"Let me get this straight. You have been dreaming about the douche who almost killed you by sleep deprivation and you didn't say anything?" Sam nodded.

"It's not the same anymore. It isn't him, its things I've forgotten, or were blocked somehow, I don't know. I just think Kevin's on to something."

"So Satan had a big white wedding?"

"I don't think so. I think he was waiting till after the big showdown with Michael, or something happened to stop it."

"So there's a hell bitch out there powerful enough for the devil to wanna play happy families...And we have to _rescue_ her?"

"She's not...I think she might be human." Sam finally looked up at Dean. His brother scratched his head, clearly torn between amusement and bewilderment.

"She isn't human" Came a voice from right beside him. Sam jumped when Castiel appeared beside him. too close for comfort. "At least not fully."

"Jesus Cas!" Dean exclaimed. "Knock next time." He gathered himself and looked over at his friend. "What is she then?"

"Her father was human" The angel moved to stand closer to Dean, his favourite.

"And her mother?" Kevin asked, pushing the tablet away, looking glad that he could finally have a break, however short, from squinting at the lump of rock.

It was Sam who answered his question. "Goddess."

Every eye in the room landed on him. He squirmed under the attention.

"Yes that is correct." Castiel confirmed. "Do you know the story of Persephone?" Dean looked blank but Kevin looked up.

"Hades' wife?" He asked, looking confused.

"That was one possible outcome. The story of Persephone is widely misunderstood.

"Lucifer said there was more than one version." Sam couldn't help himself. He felt Dean glare at him once more. Was he expected to tell him everything? He hadn't been sure it had actually happened until Kevin mentioned it for god's sake!

"Yes. The story was actually a prophecy made to the Goddess Demeter. She went to the Oracle to ask if she would ever have a child."

Everyone was listening intently. Dean sat down for story time.

"The Oracle told her that if she were to have a girl the child would be taken by the ruler of the underworld for his bride. She took that to mean Hades and ended her courtship with her brother Zeus. And vowed never to risk falling in love again"

"Ew" Dean interjected. Castiel gave him a look and he shut up.

"Eons passed, most of the old Gods faded away and died from lack of worship, including Hades. Demeter, along with some of the others, as you yourself have seen, held on. It was easier for her than most."

"How?" Kevin asked.

"Hippies." Dean looked around for someone to laugh. "Come on that's funny."

"Yes. People still worship nature and therefore Demeter." Cas did not look amused.

"So she fell for someone" Sam tried to get the story back on track.

"And became pregnant. Thinking to protect the child she hid her among humans. It was just a precaution as Hades was gone. Noone knew about the girl"

"What about the father?" Kevin again.

Castiel shook his head.

"He died with no idea. Lucifer knew of the true prophecy of course and ordered for her to be found. The demons eventually got to her and when he was set free and had his true vessel he took her."

Sam was the focus of attention once more.

"But that was years ago. She could be anywhere now. How do we even know she's alive?"

Hours later while Dean was out getting food and Kevin was again sitting at the table looking through his notes, Sam sat in his room. He couldn't help but go over the dream again, trying to think of where she could be now. What had happened to her after Lucifer was put back in his cage? did she escape? Was she still locked up in that brightly coloured room?

Was she even still alive?

That night he dreamed of her again.

_He watched her stir in the bed a few minutes before she woke up. Lucifer had barely left her side while she was out. His mind was on the battle that would take place as soon as Michael got his vessel, but his eyes were on her. _

_She opened her eyes and looked about the room. When she saw him she whimpered and moved away so fast she almost fell out the other side of the bed._

_"I wont say yes." She said, a stubborn look on her pretty face. She really needed to eat something. Lucifer thought the same thing and a large tray full of food appeared in his hands. he placed it across her legs over the covers and sat back down._

_"I wont force you to agree my Dear, but i really hope you will. We are meant for each other Persephone. You were born to be with me."_

_She looked horrified but didn't say anything._

_"I will return to you shortly. Please eat something."_

That was when the dream changed. Everything in the room faded until he was standing alone with just the bright walls around him and the wooden floor beneath his feet.

_A woman walked in and shut the door behind her. At first he thought it was Persephone but soon realised that this woman, though she had the same bright green eyes and golden hair, was something else entirely._

_"Sam Winchester." She greeted him. There wasnt a lot of warmth in her voice when she addressed him or in her eyes as she looked him up and down._

_"Demeter" He guessed. she inclined her head._

_"I have kept an eye on you since you opened the cage." She said, getting right down to it. "That wasnt very smart."_

_"We could argue about smart decisions all night or you could tell me why you're here." He snapped back. She obviously knew what he meant because her eyes flashed at him in anger. Gods were so temperamental_

_"I want you to find my daughter. She is in great danger. Again."_

_"Why didn't you save her from the demons?" He asked. His tone filled with bitterness. She looked angry again._

_"I am unable to interfere in human lives. I broke that rule before and she was almost murdered for it."_

_"And before when you screwed a human, of course." He didn't know why he was being so antagonistic, perhaps he was just sick of the gods and the angels and all their insane rules._

_"Yes. I fell in love with him from afar, when I let him see me he was so in awe of me..."_

_"You miss him. I heard he died not knowing he had a daughter."_

_"It was safer for him that way."_

_"He still died didn't he? Who was he anyway?"_

_"He did perish, though that had nothing to do with me, or Persephone for that matter. It matters not who he was. Not to you."_

_"When you meddled before...What happened?"_

_"there is no time for that now hunter. You will wake soon. You must find her and save her from him before it is too late. she is going to say yes."_

_"Lucifer is locked up in his cage..."_

_"Not Lucifer. Who do you know who could possibly know about her and the prophecy? who would consider himself to be the ruler of the underworld now that Lucifer is trapped again?"_

Sam woke with a start and ran to Deans room. He barged in without knocking, the door slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Dean shot up in the bed, a knife in his hand that he must have kept under his pillow. Old habits die-hard. When he saw Sam there, trying to catch his breath he got up and dropped the knife.

"What?"he asked, spooked by his brothers expression.

"We have to go now Dean. Crowley has her!"

Short I know but getting to the good bit

Stick with it

Aoife :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Lucifer's Bride**

_**Disclaimer; same as previous**_

**Chapter 6**

**Seph's POV**

For nine Days the Devil came to her. He would arrive out of thin air to torment her, telling her sob stories of all the pain he had suffered, every slight he had felt and how much they had in common.

He promised her the world, literally. His words were poison coated in honey and she knew it. But she also knew that it was beginning to work.

not that she was feeling sorry for him or that he was growing on her. she was still terrified by his presence, but he was wearing her down. She was beginning to think that it would be simpler to just give in. Maybe then she would see the sun once more.

every morning when she woke up there were fresh flowers everywhere. He had asked her about her favourite books and suddenly the room extended and she was in a library. He gave her anything she asked for...except her freedom.

On the tenth day, when she was getting so fed up of the windowless room and was finally inching towards accepting his proposal she waited. And waited. He never showed.

The door, which always remained locked, opened slowly. The room became smaller again and the books disappeared. The flowers died in their crystal vases and the water at the bottom turned yellow.

She walked over to the open door slowly, suspicious. outside she could make out a carpeted hallway in the gloom. she crept down the stairs at the end of the hall and bolted for the door. Nobody stopped her.

The sun outside blinded her for a moment before its reassuring heat saturated her skin. Her heart lightened at the feel of it. She was suddenly very hungry.

Seph felt bad about stealing from the gas station. The woman at the till seemed so nice. She told herself that it couldn't be helped. she had to get as far away from the place as she could. A customer was having trouble with the pump outside and it was only too easy. there were no cameras.

When she left with he pocket full of money and walked as casually as she could out of the town she saw a sign that read Y_ou are now leaving Lawrence, Kansas_

So, she knew where she had to get a hundred million miles away from.

She hitchhiked to Kansas city and found a bus station. She bought a ticket for a the bus that was going the furthest, ASAP.

She asked the surly man behind the counter how long the journey would take before handing over most of the cash she had stolen from the gas station.

"About eight hours." He practically barked at her and she handed him the seventy five dollars, not bothering to thank him. She glanced nervously around her the whole fifteen minutes she was forced to wait until finally the bus pulled in and she got on.

Seph stared out the window the whole time. Watching cities, towns, fields and more cities go by. Finally she reached her destination and stretched before getting out of the bus, feeling stiff.

The little money she had left paid for a motel room for one night. She was glad of the shower but after that sat facing the door the entire night.

Something kept her in Sioux Falls. She stayed in the motel another few nights after stealing some more cash, but her conscience wouldn't allow that to continue, so she searched for a job.

three days later she was clearing tables in a bar-restaurant on the other side of town. a week after that she was behind the bar. The manager didn't ask for ID when she told him she was twenty-one and she got paid under the table. He said she was good for business which was a bit creepy, especially since he tended to leer at her for most of the night, but it was a job and it kept her going.

The barmaid that worked the same shift was friendly. Seph was suspicious at first of course but Sarah never got that black glint in her eye that she had come to associate with...Demons.

One night after they closed up the two women walked out together.

"Hey let me give you a lift home" Sarah asked as they walked out through the parking lot.

"I'm the whole way across town." she replied.

"All the more reason. It's late, there are a lot of weirdos out there."

Seph couldnt argue with that so she got into the passenger seat and directed Sarah to the motel.

"I'm saving for a place in town" she explained as they pulled up.

"Hey i have an idea. I have a spare room."

Seph cut in before she could continue.

"I'm not looking for any favours Sarah, thanks though."

"No, no it would be a favour to me. My room mate moved out and I can't really handle the rent by myself."

They talked about it a little longer and eventually came to an agreement. Seph moved in the next day. It didn't take long. She had saved up for a place, or to leave, whichever came first, so she hadn't bought a lot of clothes or much else besides food.

Her new-found contentment lasted for almost two years.

Then the demons came.

It was a normal morning. Seph got up and took some clothes down to the laundry room she and Sarah shared with the other tenants in the apartment block. She went back up to the apartment and made two cups of tea, then knocked on Sarah's door. Her roommate told her to come in sleepily and she entered, sitting by the bed and putting one of the cups on the bedside locker.

"Feeling any better?" She asked. Sarah's response was muffled from beneath the covers but it sounded a bit like this;

D'oh my Gob I think Ib dying." She had a cold for the past few days but it seemed to have finally gotten the best of her.

"Will i ring in to work and say you're not coming in?"

"blease"

So she did. then she went down the road to pick up a few groceries at the market, stopping in the park to sit in the sun for a while and then returned, collecting her laundry on the way.

Later that night she got ready for work, brought some soup into Sarah and left. She walked to the bar, getting there in record time.

It was after work that things got wierd. After collecting her tips and helping to close up for the night she walked home, a feeling of paranoia she hadn't experienced in a while consumed her as she made her way back home. Every shadow made her jump. She should have runaway then and there, but all she could think of was her sick room mate.

She entered the living room quietly, not wanting to disturb Sarah and moved towards her bedroom.

That was when she stood in something sticky.

She turned on the light and discovered the soup bowl she had brought in to Sarah earlier was on the floor, its contents spilled across the cheap carpet.

unable to resist the curiosity that took over her she went across the kitchen area to the main bedroom and was about to knock when something caught her eye.

she turned towards the tiny kitchen and saw something on the floor, half obscured by the counter. A closer look showed her that it was Sarah's arm. She was lying, hopefully unconscious on the kitchen floor.

There was a noise from behind her and she spun around, her heart sinking in her chest. A man stood right behind her. he had crept up on her but had stood on the bowl.

She ran towards the door, panic lending her speed.

It wasnt enough. Sharp pain ran through her from a focal point on the back of her head and she blacked out.

Seph came to with an awful headache. she instinctively knew that she was no longer in her apartment. the floor she lay on was damp and cold. She sat up, almost blacking out again from the pain in her head and surveyed her surroundings as best she could in the gloom.

She was surrounded by cold stone walls, there were no windows but a little light shone in from a small gap under what appeared to be a metal door which felt heavy and unmovable to her touch.

_this is it._ She thought. _He found me and its going to start all over again._

Poor Seph, cant catch a break huh?

Aoife :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Lucifer's Bride**

_**Disclaimer; Same as previous**_

**Chapter 8**

Seph didn't know how long she sat in that dank cell before the door finally opened but it felt like a lifetime.

When it did open and dim light filled the tiny room she backed away as far as she could from her visitors, but of course that was of no use to her. The two big burly men in suits with black pupil-less eyes entered the room, their wide shoulders taking up most of the confined space. They took one of her arms each and dragged her out and down the dimly lit hall beyond. There was a large door at the bottom of the hall with a porthole styled window into the room beyond. The demons pushed her through the door before them and stood blocking it.

She looked around. the room was tiled in white. What looked like a hospital bed sat in one corner of the room, covered by a white sheet. Beside the bed, on a three-legged stool, sat a man in a suit. He smiled at her and she knew he was someone to fear.

"Persephone my dear." He greeted her with an english accent." I have heard tales of your beauty, but none have done you justice. The names Crowley."

"Why wont you bastards just leave me alone!" she shouted, surprised by the fierceness of her own voice. " You can tell Lucifer that i will never..."

"Oh darling hadn't you heard?" He was still smiling. Her outburst seemed to have amused him. "Lucifer is gone, locked back in his little cage. It took us some time to get a hold of you, but when we found out you had that bracelet...well things sort of snowballed from there."

she breathed a small sigh if relief, but then remembered the situation she was in. She tried, as she had done a million times before, to rip off the charm bracelet but as usual it was no use.

"Then why am i here?"

"Well the prophecy only says "ruler of the underworld" it isn't specific. And with Lucifer gone..." He shrugged and she knew what he was getting at. with Lucifer gone a slot had opened up and he had filled it.

"So what do you say huh Seph? Me and you, ruling together?"

She spat on the floor in reply. He sighed and stood up, it must have been some silent signal to the two knuckle heads by the door because they grabbed her once more and dragged her over to the bed. One of them pulled away the sheet and she struggled in vain once she saw the leather straps. She looked towards Crowley to find he was putting on an apron. She did her best to ignore the bloodstains.

thirty seconds later she was lying naked on the bed, her modesty covered by two thick leather straps that held her down. another covered her chin, keeping her neck exposed. The two big demons were gone and she was left with Crowley. While unable to move her head, she could watch out of the corner of her eye as he ran his hands over a table covered in instruments of torture. she picked a spot on the ceiling and glared up at it defiantly. It wasnt going to be that easy for the bastard.

**Sams POV**

"What I don't get is why Crowley would need her to say yes. He's a demon for crying out loud." Dean said as they got into the impala.

"Just be thankful for the extra time it gives us" Sam replied as he closed the passenger side door.

"it's not enough time to drive." came a voice from the back seat. Castiel. "I know where Crowley is." He touched both their shoulders and suddenly they were no longer in the car but in a large bedroom.

The room was empty. Sam and Dean began to walk towards the door when Castiel pulled them back.

"They will be here in a moment." he pulled back an expensive looking rug and together they painted a devils trap on the floor beneath.

Sure enough the door opened not a minute later and Crowley walked in. He was carrying a woman in his arms. _Her. _She was wearing a floor length silky white dress, her hair loose in golden waves down to the bottom of her back. Her feet were bare.

_"_And we are over the threshold, my queen." said Crowley as he put her down. It was only then that he noticed the three of them standing there.

"Well if it isn't the Winchesters." He said, a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes. He pulled her closer to him. She was still facing away from them but when she heard his greeting she stiffened.

Crowley had one hand on her waist and the other he used to pull her hair over to one side so that he could kiss her shoulder and stage whisper into her ear.

"Yes my dear. you remember that name don't you? do not fret i wont let them hurt you."

Sam's confusion over Crowley's words was washed away when he saw her back. He and Dean both winced at the same time. The dress she was wearing was backless, right down to her waist. when her hair was pulled away they saw the many overlapping scars that marred her otherwise flawless skin.

Though she could have turned her head to look back at them she kept it bowed. she looked broken. Sam had to resist the urge to run and try to grab her away from the monster, but Crowley's grip on her waist looked close to painful.

Then dean was there with his knife. there was a scramble, Sam joined in blindly grabbing for the girl. Dean kicked Crowley back and got to her first. they jumped back and Crowley tried to follow but was stuck in the devils trap. He had walked right into it. Dean held her in his arms with her head cradled to his chest.

Seph woke in a room that was unfamiliar. The last few months of torture came flooding back in a wave of emotional pain. There was no physical pain however, even though she was lying on her back, where the worst scars were. This made no sense. She hadn't gone a day without being in agony ever since the first time she had been strapped to that table.

the first thing she noticed when she sat up was that the charm bracelet that had enabled the demons to always find her was gone. she stared down at her arm and saw that the welts left behind from the leather straps on the torture table were gone. it was the same on her other arm. What was going on? who were her rescuers and were they even human?. The last thing she remembered was being carried, her head resting against a plaid shirt, away from a cursing and snarling Crowley.

She had finally agreed to marry the demon, after months and months of torture. It had finally become too much and she had given in. By that stage she would have agreed to anything. she had been brought out of the room after saying yes and left in a much nicer room than the damp little cell she had been forced to lie in, bleeding and cursing her captors day in day out.

there was a box on the bed with a not on it. the note read; _wear me_

she knew what was in the box before she opened it; a wedding dress. How had it come to this? Why was this happening to her? And why had she had no more dreams from her mother to warn her this time?

Her guards came to fetch her and she was brought back to the torture room, where Crowley stood waiting. At first she thought he was going to hurt her some more but instead he took her hand in his and said

"I'm not one for long ceremonies so do you Persephone take me, the king of hell as your husband?" he looked over to the table and she knew it was a threat.

"Yes" she said, misery taking over every fibre of her being.

"By the power vested in me by...well me, I now pronounce us king and queen of hell. He kissed her and she tried to keep down the rising vomit.

then he was carrying her back to the room in which she had gotten dressed. She knew what was coming but tried not to think about it, instead she tried to see the outdoors. her mind went back to how free and exhilarated she had felt the day she had escaped from the carters all those years ago, before the Devil had shown up and ruined everything.

she heard the row that was going on between her new husband and the people who had obviously broken in but she didn't care...until the name Winchester was mentioned, then she was listening intently.

She came back to the present. There was a set of clothes on the end of the bed. She got out of the bed and then made her way slowly to the en-suite on the other side of the room, the door hanging open to show, lo and behold, an actual toilet!

The door was lockable from the inside so she had a shower, keeping her eyes on the door handle the whole time. After that she took a look at the clothes. The t-shirt was miles too big and as for the track suit pants...she had to abandon them as she couldn't make them stay up even when she had the string pulled as tight as it would go. the shirt went to her knees anyway and she didn't really care as long as she didn't have to put the stupid dress back on. she rolled that up in a ball and put it in the bin beside the sink.

Seph returned to the bedroom and walked to the door that she assumed led out. She had just put her hand on the door handle when somebody twisted it from the other side. she jumped back as it opened.

A young Asian man stood in the doorway. He held his hands up and said

"Youre safe here Persephone. Sam and Dean brought you back here after they saved you from Crowley."

She didn't trust him at first, but listened as he rambled on about how they had come to figure out where she was. there was a lot of talk about angels. After listening to Lucifer's ramblings she shouldn't have been surprised that there were others out there.

"where am i?" she asked when she could get a word in.

He told her about the bunker they were in and how the demons couldn't find them there. especially since the angel, Castiel, destroyed her bracelet. it was the angel that had healed her as well.

"and the other two? the...Winchesters?"

"They went out to get food and stuff, they said they'd be back soon." He replied and then offered her a tour of the place. curious, she agreed, more so to suss out the exits than anything else.

They had just left the kitchen and Seph was carrying a mug of coffee in her hands, still keeping half an eye on the main exit the boy who claimed to be named Kevin had pointed out when the exact door swung open.

The first man who walked in was about 6'1 with light brown hair. He was carrying a bag of what looked like take out food. He saw her staring and slowed his pace a little, as if he didn't want to spook her.

"you're up." he said in greeting. " I'm Dean and this here is..." he began to introduce the taller man who was just coming in the door, laden down with groceries and some bags that had clothing store logos printed on the front.

before He could say the other man's name, Seph got a better look at the person entering the room. she dropped the coffee mug and took a couple of hurried steps back before full on running towards the closest open door. Kevin was in the way of the one behind her so she had no choice but to run down the hall to the room she had woken up in. she slammed the door behind her and desperately began to pull furniture in front of it.

this could not be happening. she told herself. Crowley said he was locked up.

when all the furniture she could move was in front of the door she ran to the other side of the room and sat in the corner, shaking. she had let herself think, for just a moment that she just might be safe. she told herself that she should have known better than to hope.

There were voices at the other side of the door.

"Persephone it's not what you think" It went on like that for a while but they didn't try to break down the door. she sat in her little corner and waited, but they didn't barge in as she thought they would, and he didn't appear in the room as she knew he was capable of doing.


	9. Chapter 9

Lucifer's Bride Disclaimer; Same as previous Chapter 9 Sam sat in front of her door for hours, hating himself. How had they not anticipated her reaction to seeing him? They didn't know what had happened to her after he jumped into hell, so why had he expected her not to freak out? Dean brought him a coffee and tried to convince him once more to try to get the door open. "We'll only scare her even more" He said, biting back a yawn. "Have you even tried talking to her?" Dean asked. He had thought about it, of course, but couldn't think of what to say. Come out I'm not the devil any more just didn't sound right. so he shook his head and Dean rolled his eyes. "Pussy" He muttered before going to the middle of the room and calling for Cas. The angel appeared silently and Dean explained what had happened. "What do you want me to do?" Castiel asked, not getting it. "Go in and talk to her. Explain what's going on or at least move the crap away from the door so we can. Sam's too afraid to barge in. Cas disappeared again and the two brothers put their ears to the door to listen. _ Seph jumped as she heard someone sit down beside her. He wore a suit and tie beneath a trench coat. She whimpered and moved further in to her corner where she had been dozing. "Your journey has been difficult, but you are safe here." He said. "Who are you." She asked. "I am the one who healed you. My name is Castiel." That rang a bell from what Kevin had nattered on about earlier. "You're the angel." "Yes." "I thought only demons worked for that bastard." "I assume you refer to Lucifer." She nodded in reply. "He is gone, locked in his cage in hell. He no longer poses a threat." "I saw him" "You saw Sam Winchester. He was Lucifer's vessel." When she looked sceptical and confused he went on. "Lucifer possessed Sam in order to carry out his plans on earth...it's a long story." He stood and looked at the furniture piled up against the door. She blinked and everything was back in its proper place. The door swung open and the man they were just talking about and the other one...his brother stumbled in. It was clear that they had been eavesdropping. They had the decency to look guilty. Taken aback a little, she stood, her back to the wall, panic rising in her again. Both men raised their palms in a gesture that meant "Were not going to hurt you" "You're hunters." she finally managed to speak after a few tense seconds. They nodded in response. They came further into the room. She waited until they no longer blocked the door. trying to exude calm she came out of her corner and motioned for them to take a seat on the edge of the bed. Looking relieved they moved to comply. She ran for it. Out the door, down the hall and up towards the exit. She almost made it. It was the shorter one that caught her. "Dammit Persephone we're just trying to protect you!" He grunted as she struggled against his bear hug. "Drop the act already!" She shouted back, angry tears spilling from her eyes. He let her go and blocked the door. "If you go out there, Crowley will find you. Is that what you want? huh? To go back to you're husband?" That stung. "Just kill me already." She sunk to the floor and sobbed. "What are you waiting for? The other one got right to the point." "Why would we kill you Persephone?" The taller one asked from the bottom of the stairs. She couldn't look at his face. "Why go to the effort of saving you from Crowley and then murder you" "Seph." She corrected. If she was going to die her killers should at least refer to her by her preferred title. She couldn't understand why they were prolonging the inevitable. Was it some sick game. "We just want to help you Per...Seph." He corrected himself mid-sentence. She snorted, wiping away her tears and standing again. "The last hunter who said that tried to kill me." She was angry now, her defiant streak showing through for the first time since Crowley had finally broken her will with his many torture instruments. "Please sit down Seph." Sam pleaded and walked towards the large table in the middle of the main room. Dean stayed at the door, an eyebrow raised in challenge until she turned and followed Sam. She sat as far from the others as possible. Kevin reappeared with more coffee and placed it in front of her. It was probably going to be a long night. 


End file.
